twangster

Explorer arriving in Port Canaveral right now. https://www.portcanaveralwebcam.com/

Many of have lost great rates or special voyages so we can relate. I've also lost family so in the bigger scheme losing out on several cruises must be kept in perspective for me. No one knows when the CDC here will finally do enough so that ships can sail. This is all on the CDC as their outdated policies are the only obstacle to ships sailing. Will the CDC finally get over themselves this week? We all hope so, but we don't know. All any of us can do is wait and hope.

How are vaccination efforts coming along? That seems to be critical. Even the CDC up here can't argue those results away.

Three men are stranded in a boat with 4 cigarettes and no way to light them. So they toss the 4th cigarette overboard, which makes the whole boat a cigarette lighter.

Oh my... I thought it was your mask you can't touch. How did I survive this pandemic while touching my face the whole time?

Looks like I better push another trip there out a few years.

St. Thomas has Magens Bay beach which is pretty stunning and well known but can get crowded if many ships are in port. An island tour can yield some great views. St. Johns I presume is Antigua. The saying goes that Antigua has a beach for every day of the year although that's not entirely true. If yet more beach isn't desired there is the Royal dockyard in Antigua (Nelson's Dockyard). It's a bit of a drive but a tour that stops there and also some of the other scenic areas could be a nice change if other ports are beach days. Antigua had a historic role as a British colony so there is some history there that goes back a long time, at least by our standards over here.

It's curious to me why MSC is eager to find a partner. We know they plan more ships for the US market but they must be looking to bridge the time between now and when the ships are really here. The deal was structured like Royal's terminal A. The land is leased but the cruise line pays for the building. As far as Royal seeking preferential berthing... why not? It doesn't say MSC agreed to that. In fact they probably laughed at it. However they are ones seeking a partner. The way I see it Royal said sure, but we get preferential berthing and MSC is probably not willing to go there. That leaves the Port trying to broker a deal between the two. PoM berths are a finite item. Once they build these that's it. Looking long term it would be bad business not to consider it.

Keep in mind this only applies to Greece and St. Maarten cruises. How will they verify vaccination cards? Only time will tell. However, how many people are going to drop three or four thousand on a cruise hoping their $13 fake CDC card passes muster? (pun intended) They are literally flying into another country where if they get busted they lose everything and will likely be spending some extended time with the local authorities of that country as well as having some explaining to do once they do manage to fly back home and get to meet federal authorities in the US who will be very eager to receive them. On boarding day CWC isn't available (must be engaged 48 hours prior to sailing). Getting caught with a fake card means losing all your money. The cruise line will handle hundreds of real cards. How good is a fake? Does the paper feel the same? Is the ink identical? Would you be willing to wager thousands of dollars on a Chinese or Russian knock off card?

The two big gotchas are: Anyone who booked certain items in the old Cruise Planner and now may think they see a lower price in My Royal Cruises but gratuity is added separately. Taxes at Private Destinations. To that end if your cruise still uses the old Cruise Planner and you are thinking about a Cabana or any Royal excursion you may want to buy it now before your cruise is migrated to the new interface where taxes may apply.

After experiencing the new My Royal Cruises I really like it. Check out is a breeze and greatly simplified without re-entering your details multiple times. Going back to the the old Cruise Planner starts to feel clunky.

The layout of shore excursions makes it easier to do a quick comparison or to scan for price drops if you keep track of your previous purchases like I do.

Navigating within My Royal Cruises and switching to a different sailing is much easier.

With My Royal Cruises the initial price displayed is lower. In this case $73.99. Once it is added to your cart gratuity is added. The final price is $87.30 or 30 cents more compared to the old Cruise Planner pricing.

For the Ultimate Dining Package here is a comparison of the old Cruise Planner pricing versus the new My Royal Cruises pricing. In the old Cruise Planner the price displayed included gratuity. In this case it was $87. The pricing did not change in your cart.

The other way to find your order history is to click on the icon in the upper right (my initials removed from this screenshot).

The calendar view is also improved.

Booking the spa is easier now too. While not subject to taxation, just like before gratuity does get added in the cart.

On board activities provided by Royal are not subject to taxation.

Royal excursions owned and operated by Royal are subject to taxation.

Third party excursions do not appear to be subject to taxation.

In my case my Mariner cruise doesn't allow booking entertainment because reservations are only used on specific ships, Oasis and Quantum class. Interesting that Navigator is included in their list of ships where you can book entertainment. Things that make you go Hmmm.

Beverage packages work the same as before. Like before gratuity is added in the cart. Still not allowed to share drink packages. All eligible guest in a cabin must purchase it if any one does.

As far as dining goes... in this case Chops. Gratuity is added in the cart. It is much easier to see the times that are available.

When you cancel an excursion it indicates the refund is in process but notice in this case it displays a refund of $40.99. Rest assured it does actually refund the full amount including taxes. I can confirm the actual refund I received a few days later was the full $45.90.